Broom



E. L. NELSON Oct. 8, 1929.

BROOM Filed July 2o, 1927 Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFF-ici;

ERNEST L. NELSON, OF CHIC'AGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BELLEN MANUFACTURING- -V COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COB'PORATION OF ILLINOIS BROOM Application filed July. 20,

This invention relates tobrooms and more particularly to a novel head therefor, especially for that type of broom having a long brushhead with relatively short tufts, thoughk not limited to this particular type4 of brooms.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a broom having a head by which particles, including fine dust, may be; swept or flipped along at each sweeping movement of the broom, the head having a surrounding or en.- circling row of bristlesformingl the brush head proper, with a central longitudinal open space or pocket opening downwardly, in which is disposed a rubber orsimilar flexible strip or sheet fitting the inner wall of the bristles, suitably securedv tor the, head, together with resilient means-tending toliold or spring the spaced portions ofy the flexible strip apart and4 against the innerl sides. of the bristles forming the brushk head proper so;y as to assist the latter inthe sweeping action to insure thatthe dirt will be4 carried along instead of sifting through the. bristles. Other andl further objectsof the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 isa longitudinali sectional; view of abroom embodying my inventiont Fig.- 2 is a bottom View o n a smaller scale, and v ,i

Fig. 8'; is a cross-sectional view taken on the section line 3-31ofF igure 1.

- Referring tothe drawings in. detaiLAf` des; ignates the head: of the broom, which issliown of the usual brush type having Opposite sockets `5 screw threaded or otherwise. pro,.- vided for the attachment of thel handle, (not shown). Attached to` theI head 4, in the usual or any preferred-.way are the bristles or tufts 6, constitutingthe brush headptoper, but in the present instance, arranged around the outer portion and extending froml the bottom ofthe wooden or other head or body portion 4:, so astol provide a surrounding brush head of bristles with.y a central longitudinal open space or pocket 7 opening downwardly'I Within this space or pocket 7 isI disposed a flexible and resilient sheet or wall; 8:,.such as rubber, the same being foldedorbent on itself in curved. formation asnd-,Gated at 9;, so1asxto 1927; Serial- NQ. 207,029;

provide a bight extending longitudinally and secured. to the bottom face of the head 4 between the opposite portions or surrounding row of bristles by suitablefastenings, suoli` as screws 10. Preferably, a stripll of wood/or other rigid material is laid, against the bent portion and., if desired, a plurality ofexpanding members 12 which may be seated in grooves or recesses. in the strip 11 is` disposed between the strip 11 and thezbent or bight portion; 9, all being apertured to, receive the fas-x ter separated: and asainstthe inner faces 02.

the-bristles It is alsoto be understood that the resilient sheet @may besimply a flat sheet folded on itself' or made continuous with the ends. 114i if; desired, although. these ends are preferably tapered; toconform to the tapery of the broompart 6, asclearly shown in Figure 2;of the drawings. It also will be noted that the free or bot-130m edges of the flexible sheet 8 extend tothe bottom of the bristles, while the expandingA members 1 2 preferably terminate a, considerable distance above said edges in spaced rela-tionthereto,

With abrOOmgsuch as describechthe broom orl brush head constituting the tufts or hairs composing the` same, will act in the usual w2 1,y,.butk particles, including finev dust, may be swept or flipped along at each. sweeping movement ofthe broom owing to the flexible springy and flipping actionof the sheet member 7,^instea`d of theparticles or dust sticking to the britsles or sifting through the same and necessitating that the sweeping, movementbe repeated; several times. in order'to advance, or carry along the particles, particularly the liner yparticles or dust, 'In other words, asthe sweeping movement is effected, the bottom edges, of the resilient or flexible sheet 8 of rubber or similar material will en gage the ground orfloor surface and; at each sweeping; mnrementl in. either direction wil- 1 Vhile l have described the sheet or flexible member 8 as being of rubber and also the expanding members 12, it is to be understood that any other suitable. resilient. materialmay be employed so long as the members 8 are made to flex and flip the dirt and not mar the floor surface. The expanding members l2 may be suitable spring members with or without the rubber covering.

' While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modifications may .be made therein without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which may be determined by reference to the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. A broom including a body having a brush head with an intermediate open space, a resilient sheet set in said space against the inner face of the brush head and comprising opposite spaced walls disposed against the inner sides of the brush-head and extending to the bottom of the brush head to contact with the surface being swept to flip dust and other particles along in sweeping.

2. A broom including a body having a brush head with an intermediate open spaceV encircledjby the brush head, a resilient sheet set in said space and.` comprising opposite walls secured to the body, said Walls diverging downwardly in spaced relation against the inner'faces of the bristles of the broom head to the bottom thereof and constituting means for flipping dirt and fine particles of dust in the use of the broom.

3. A broom including a head with a surrounding row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket encircled by the bristles, a flexible rubber sheet secured to the head within and extending entirely around said pocket and against the inner face of the bristles, said sheet expanding against the inner sides of the bristles and having its ens tire bottom edge in line with the ends of the bristles.

4t. A broom or brush including a head with a surrounding row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, a substantially U-shaped flexible sheet secured at the bight portion to the head within said pocket, and a plurality of reinforcing and resilient expanding members anchored to the head through said bight portion within said space and acting against opposed portions of the sheet.

5. A broom including a head with a face having a peripheral row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, a flexible sheet secured to the head within and surrounding said poclret and having the edges thereof extending to the ends of the bristles of the head, said sheet being imperforate, resilient expanding members set within said sheet, and a strip with attachment means securing the sheet and expanding members to the body of the broom.

l6. A broom including a head with a face having a peripheral row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, a flexible sheet secured to the head within and surrounding said pocket and having the edges thereof extending to the ends of the bristles of the head, resilient expanding members set within said sheet, and a strip with attachment means securing the sheet and expanding members to the body of the'broom.

7. A broom including a head with a surrounding row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, a flexible sheet of substantially inverted V-shaped cross section'secured to the head within said pocket, said sheet having its bottom edges contiguous with the free ends of the bristles, and eX- panding means secured to the bottom of the head within said space and acting outwardly against the inner face of said sheet to hold the same against the bristles.

8. A broom including a head with a face having a peripheral row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, and a resilient and flexible` sheet folded and secured at the folded portion to the head within and surrounding said pocket to cause the opposite spaced portions of the sheet to press outwardly against the `entire inner face of the row of bristles and having the edges thereof extending to the free ends of the bristles of the head to flip dirt along.

9. A broom including a head with a face having a peripheral row of bristles providing an intermediate open space or pocket, a flexible andresilient sheet secured to the head within and surrounding said pocket and having downwardly diverging sides the bottom edges thereof extending to the free ends of the bristles of the head to flip dust and other particles along in sweeping, a strip inserted between the diverging sides,y and means to secure said strip and sheet to the body of the broom.

10. A broom of the class described including a head witha peripheral row of bristles anchored to and extending therefrom to provide an intermediate open space enlarging toward the free ends of the bristles, a flexi- "ble resilient sheet folded on itself and anchored at the fold to the head with its sides normally diverging downwardly and under tension to cause the depending portions of the sheet to expand' outwardly against the surrounding row of bristles, said sheet having its bottom edge extending to the free ends of the bristles to engage the surface acted on in sweeping.

1l. A broom including a head With a face having a peripheral row of bristles providing an intermediate open space, a flexible sheet secured to the head Within and surrounding said space and having the edges thereof extending to the ends of the bristles7 expanding members Within said iexible sheet and acting outwardly against the same, a rigid strip fitting against the sheet at the intermediate open space, said strip having grooves receiving the expanding members, and fastening means extending through the strip and vinto the head to secure the sheet and expand- -Y ing members in position.

ERNEST L. NELSON. 

